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It's A Girl's Surf Blue Birthday Party

We recently celebrated Madelyn turning the BIG 11, with a Surf Blue Birthday party. I decided to call in for help as it was very last-minute and I had no decorations prepared. I wanted one of those really pretty balloon designs that made the party and because it was on a Thursday Erika from Lovely Event Design was able to help us!

It was an absolute treat to collaborate with Erika! She was an absolute dream to work with! I felt like it was a sort of special magic over our home with the balloon art.

I knew Erika would take care of the decorating outside and that was great stress off from me so I could focus on the other tasks! I loved the balloons I kept looking at them throughout the day and days to come! Because we chose a shady place they actually lasted a couple days!!

SHOP SIMILAR OUTFITS

Erika from Lovely Event Design does custom garlands, bouquets, floral designs, & dessert table designs for events. It is amazing because she works with you to customize the set- up of your dreams!

If you are in the Sacramento Area and are planning anything like a wedding, baby shower, party, anniversary…..whatever! She is your gal!! Thank you Erika for making our day MAGICAL! I

We had very fancy Domino’s Pizza for dinner and made it extra cute by really going for it with our Blues Birthday Tablescape! Thank you Party City for having all of these adorable paper and disposable party goods! I also took a trip to Trader Joe’s and got some flowers and made little bouquets for all over the house!

My favorite styling tip for ANY party is to create a color scheme first! Stick to basic neutral colors for most of it, THEN add your pops of color with the accessories of the party for your color mood. I also really suggest making a Pinterest board with ideas and a color mood for your party. I had mine while shopping and it took the guesswork out of choosing the right color.

I ordered a cake from Baskin Robbins and asked them to do a black and white cake with blue letters. It wasn’t all made by me. Sometimes I think we go into unnecessary party monsters. Ha! Trust me the desire is always to do it all myself. But what I’ve learned over the years: people just want to be with you to celebrate.

Yes, do what you can to be excellent if you want! But don’t make the party measure your worth. Your worth is in Jesus and it can never be taken away from you. Not from a failed party, or anything else for that matter!

If all else fails, ask people to help you. You are worthy of love and connection which means sometimes we just need a little help. My friends came to the party and noticed I was a little off. I wasn’t all the way ready and they asked if they could help, so I said YES and gave everyone jobs. Do as much as you can and then know that people truly desire to help. SO let them.

It’s a beautiful thing to be vulnerable. It frees others to do so as well! It’s exhausting pretending we’ve got it all together. So let’s just be real, honest, and kind to ourselves and others. Trust me, living in grace with self and others is a much more peaceful way to live and I know in these times we all want to feel peace, safety and love. You get to create that for yourself and your family. It starts IN you, not outside of you. I encourage you to practice self-compassion through even your party plans!

My Daughter Turned 11

Photo by: Joelle Smith Photography

When Maddy was in my belly I wondered what she would look like. I wondered and (feared) how I would be as a mother and what she’d be like as a daughter. So many questions have been answered since the thought of her in my belly! This is my new question: What is Madelyn going to do in her life that affects change in this world for the good? What are the good works that the Lord has planted in her heart to serve those around her?

It’s been 11 years since I had her and so much has happened in a decade. I love the way she loves and the way she forgives. The way she cares about people and her heart of gold are what makes me so honored to be her mom. However: even the dark parts and her weaknesses are my honor to hold space for. I see both light and dark in her. Those dark parts, I will leave as personal and not share so I don’t break her trust, but even so, I love and accept her in spite of those too.

I watch how she navigates feeling ashamed and then realizing Jesus has paid with his sacrifice for them all and I see her dwell in the goodness of Jesus’ love; which is my ultimate favorite thing to watch; My children abiding in Christ and delighting in the freedom of his love.

I told her one day that I wasn’t just interested/proud of her because of her good behavior. I wanted to know ALL of her. That ALL of her was welcomed in our home and that I wanted to know all the parts that made her up. I wanted her to know my heart and our home was a safe place to make mistakes and grow. And for her to be her real self with me.

It is with tears in my eyes that I write this post because God is so merciful. I didn’t think I would be a “good” mother. And what is that by the way? Who knows what a “good” mother is? Where is the barometer in which we measure this astounding honor of motherhood?

Beloved, friend, if you are wondering; you are enough as a mother. Your kids need your strengths as well as your weaknesses. I have figured out that instead of trying to be a “perfect” illusion of a mom I was just going, to be honest, vulnerable, real, & quick to say, “I’m sorry! Mommy is learning too.”

In these 11 years, this is what I’ve come to discover…………

God always knew the kids he would allow me to shepherd. He knew Madelyn and Haylee would be in my care. God has given me insight, love, patience, wisdom, kindness, forgiveness, trust, joy, endurance, hope, and vision for my mothering that I didn’t even know was possible to get from him. My kids have seen the goodness of God through my failures and sucesses. In the success, I take the chance to praise and give glory to God! And every moment of failure on my end is an opportunity to share Christ and the gospel with my children.

A golden opportunity to explain my daily failure and sin is why I desperately need Jesus and why I devotedly love him so much. Because he will always forgive me and give me the grace to try again! Jesus has helped me to pour into Madelyn for 11 years imperfectly but she knows with her WHOLE heart that I love her and I am for her.

To me, that’s all that matters, OUR relationship.

As mother-daughter.

Never perfect.

Just real and beautiful and painful and exhilarating and for a purpose.

I pray for your relationships! I pray you’d see yourself as enough in Christ in every-which-way. That you’d feel hope for your motherhood journey. I believe in you and the very best part of you and the Lord believe in you too! Have a fantastic week!